Advance Transit Seeks Community Feedback to Update Five-Year Transit Plan

Morning commuters boarding the bus

Press Release
For Immediate Release
October 17, 2022

Advance Transit (AT) is currently in the process of updating its Transit Development Plan (TDP), a five-year plan for improving public transportation in the Upper Valley.

The TDP is a tactical guide for enhancing, cultivating, and evolving public transportation services. Updating this plan is a multi-phased process that includes: a review of existing services; a survey of passengers that examines trip purposes, frequency of use, residential and commuter patterns, and technology usage; and an analysis of travel patterns, which considers planned construction and development projects that may affect public transportation in the future

A crucial part of this process is community feedback, which is critical in identifying community preferences and learning how AT services can better meet transportation needs.

There are various opportunities for providing feedback:

  • A brief online survey is available for all community members to complete, regardless of their current use of public transportation. This survey offers some insight on the community’s needs. Survey participants will also have the chance to win a $25 Visa gift card. The survey is available at https://tinyurl.com/ATsurvey22
  • Rider surveys will be distributed on board buses for passengers to complete.
  • Listening sessions on Wednesday, November 2, are open for all members of the community to share their thoughts. Two sessions are scheduled for that day:
    • 12-1pm at the Hartford Town Office,
      171 Bridge Street, White River Junction, Vermont
    • 3-4pm at the Kilton Public Library (Community Room),
      80 Main Street, West Lebanon, New Hampshire

AT has a long history of careful system planning, including coordination with local and regional planning efforts. This year, AT will be working with Steadman Hill Consulting, a consulting firm with extensive experience in public transportation planning. AT has worked with Steadman Hill Consulting in the past to produce its 2018 plan. That plan resulted in changes to routes and schedules in order help meet the transportation needs of the community. This includes increased frequency on the Blue route (operating between downtown Lebanon and downtown Hanover), which now offers 15-minute service.

For additional information on the TDP process, and to review past TDPs and relevant studies, visit advancetransit.com/plan

For more information, contact Trish Palao, Director of Marketing and Philanthropy, at tpalao@advancetransit.com or (802) 295-1824.